1. the definition of vocabulary a. vocabulary theoritical ...repository.ump.ac.id/323/3/eli susianti...

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CHAPTER II

THEORITICAL REVIEW

A. Vocabulary

1. The Definition of Vocabulary

In the Oxford Advance Learning Dictionary (1989), „vocabulary‟

means total of words in a language.

Pikulski and Templeton (2004:1) define vocabulary as the sum of

words that used by and understood by students. We “use” vocabulary is

when we speak and write; the term espressive vocabulary is used to refer

to both since these are the vocabulary when we listen to speech and when

we read; the term receptive vocabulary is used to refer to listening and

reading vocabularies.

In line with, Hatch and Brown (1995:1) states that the term of

vocabulary refers to a list or set of words for a particular language or a

lists or set of words that individual speakers of language might use.

While Hiebert and Kamil (2005:3) ague that vocabulary is the knowledge

of meaning of words. Knowledge of words in at least two forms: oral and

print.

From those linguistics‟ definitiion, we can concluded that is the

knowledge of a language might understand and use in the form of oral

and print.

The Effectiveness of..., Eli Susianti, FKIP UMP, 2015

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2. The Importance of Vocabulary

Vocabulary is the basic component of language proficiency which

provide the basis for learners‟ performance in the both productive and

receptive skills of language. Dealing with the students performance in the

skill of language. (Stahl and Fairbanks in Bromley 2007:527)

Vocabulary should be placed in the center of language teaching as

it plays an important role in creating understanding of language through

what a student hears, sees, and reads in the classroom.

Vocabulary is the point of language learning. Language skill

depends on mastering the vocabulary. The more vocabulary is mastered,

the bigger possibility that somebody has in language is.

(Tarigan:1984:82)

From those statements, it can be concluded that vocabulary is

needed in order to master four language skills; writing,speaking, and

listening. Vocabulary is first basic important thing in learning English.

Vocabulary is also important when someone will write, speak, or read in

english. So, he/she have to increase and master vocabulary more and

more to use English well.

3. Problem of Learning Vocabulary

The problem of vocabulary are caused by lack of equivalence

between lexical herms of different language. Beside that, the core failure

of mastering a foreign language is mainly determined by the limited

stock of words, which will built up the meaning of spoken or written


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form. William Francis (1958: 78) describes the problem of learning

vocabulary as follows:

a. Memorizing problem

There are some memorizing problems:

1) The students have low motivation to learn vocabulary.

2) The students are reluctant to memorize the new words.

3) The students do not always use the words they have known to

communicate in daily activities. The longer they meet the words, the

faster they forget them.

4) Some English teachers do not find and use proper teaching strategies

which maintain the students‟ ability of memorizing the words. For

this reason, English teachers should known a strategy, which is

suitable with the objectives if instruction.

b. Meaning of problem

It is reasonable that the Indonesian learners are difficult to

understand the meaning of English words. Sometimes, the meaning of

words changes because of its function in sentences.

Based on explanation above, teaching vocabulary needs many

right ways. We have to know how far their competence and what the

right strategy is. We can not just once; we need practice and practice

more. Reviewing or mentioning the known word should be made, so

the students will understand the contrast.


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4. The Types of Vocabulary

Nation ( in Rasouli : 2013 ) has divided vocabulary in the specific

reference as follows:

a. Receptive Vocabulary: knowing a word involves being able to

recognize it when it is heard ( What is the sound like ? ) or when it is

seen ( What does it look like ?) and having an expectation of what

grammatical pattern the word will occure. This includes being able

to distinnguish it from word with a similar form and being able to

judge if the word form sounds right or look right.

b. Productive Vocabulary: Knowing a word involves being able to

pronounce the word, how to write and to spell it, how to use it in

grammatical pattern along with the word in usually collocates with

it, it also involves not using the word too often if it is typically a low

frequency word and using it in a suitable situation using the word to

stand for the meaning it represents and being able to think of suitable

substitutes for the word if there any.

5. Aspect of Vocabulary

In learning vocabulary, there are five aspects that can be

learnt by the learners. In this research, it focused on learning five

aspects of vocabulary,

According to Lado as cited in Mardinawati (2012:11) the aspect of

vocabulary that can be learnt by the learners are as follows:


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a. Meaning

Meaning is the most important aspect of vocabulary that

encourage students independence so that students will be able to

deal with new words and expand the vocabulary beyond the end

of the lesson. The meaning can be conveyed by using

demonstration ( using object, using gesture, whiteboard drawing

and pictures of book) and by verbal explanation

(analyticaldefinition, putting the new words in a defining

context, and translating into another language (Nation,

1990:51as cited in Kareem,2000:6). Involving students in

discovering the meaning, it will easy for students to remember

the word and its meaning.

b. Spelling

In learning vocabulary, spelling is important in learning

vocabulary. Spelling is the connector of sounds and letters.

Spelling there may be different acceptable written forms for the

same words within the same variety of English or most

commonly, due to the fact that they belong to different varieties

as happen with many British or American English terms

(Nation, 1990:51 as cited in Kareem,2000:6).

c. Pronunciation

pronunciation of a word is what someone hears when others

say the word. What a speaker means to say might be difficult to


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understand by the listeners when the sounds produced are

incorrect. According to Suwartono (2008:2) states tht

pronunciation seems to be a central issue. The problem is rooted

from the inconsistency between speeling (the written form) and

pronunciation(the sound production) in the English language.

d. Word Classes

Word classes are categories of word. Word class is an

important feature in semantic feature analysis. In each following

sets of words, one word does not belong. There are grammatical

patterns should be paracticed fluently to the students such as

noun (countable and uncountable) verb complementation,

phrasal verb, adjective and adverd (Kareem, 2000:4).

e. Word Use

Word use is how a word, phrase, or concept is used in all

language. Word uses may also involve grammar and thus be the

subject of profound analysis.

6. Steps of Learning Vocabulary

The main purpose of language teaching and learning is making the

learners be able to conduct meaningful communication by using the target

language, and vocabulary is realized as the main tool of communication.

Therefore, it is important for an English teacher to know the effective ways in

teaching vocabulary. Brown and Payne in Hatch and Brown (1994: 373) did


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an analysis that resulted in very clear model where the strategies included five

essential steps. Those are:

a. Having sources for encountering new words

The firs essentil step for vocabulary is encountering new words,

that is having a source for words. The students‟ strategy here includes

lesrning new words by reading books, reading newspaper and magazine.

In this case, the source of new words in form books or context that the

students follow the reading class. In the text, there are a lot of new words

that can be learnt by them.

b. Getting the word form

The second step essential to vocabulary learning appears to be the

getting of clear image-visual or auditory or both-of the form of the

vocabulary item. This step was shown in comments such as “associating

new words with words that sound similar in native language, “writing the

sound of words using sound symbols from native language.

c. Getting the word meaning

The third essential step in the learner‟ reported strategies is the one

which is most often associated with idea of vocabulary learninggetting

the word meaning. This step includes such strategies as “asking native

English speakers what words mean.

d. Consolidating word form and meaning in memory

The fourth necessary step revealed by Brown and Payne‟s analysis

requires the consolidation of form and meaning in memory.


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e. Using the word

The final step in learning words is using the words. Some would

argue that this step is not necessary if all that is desired is a receptive

knowledge of the word. Such an argument can apply to many of the other

processes as well, since a great amount can be comprehended in context

even if a reader or listener knows nothing about many of the words being

used. However, if the goal is to help learners move as far along the

continuum of word knowledge as they can, word use is essential.

B. SCANR

2. The definition of the SCANR strategy

SCANR is a strategy for inferencing a new word‟s meaning

from context. SCANR is an abbreviation based on the initial letters of

word denoting the order of the procedures : substitute (a new word to be

substitute with another or expression), check ( for key in the context to

confirm the assumption ), ask (students look at the wider context,

including the surrounding clauses and sentences.), need (making a

guess to the meaning of the word), revise (revise the answer). (Jenkin et

al in Takac 2008:89)

3. The advantages of SCANR strategy

According to Walkes (2008:22) the advantages of SCANR are :

a. Strategy to retrieve word meaning without overtaxing their

memory and creating additional anxiety.


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b. Students are helping in mastering vocabulary.

c. Students are helping to gain a general meaning of unfamiliar word.

4. The purpose of SCANR strategy

The purpose of the SCANR strategy is to allow the students to

infer or guess the meaning from the context. It helps students increase

their vocabulary because the students stay focused on the specific

meaning based on the context. The students will be the active because

they work individually.

5. The implementation of SCANR :

A SCANR strategy of learning and increasing vocabulary is

possible, we need to know how to train students. Nation (1983: 89)

gives a very good model on how to guess unknown words:

1. Substitute

Look at the unknown word to be substituted with another or

expression and decide its part of speech. Is it a noun, a verb, an

adjective, or an adverb?

2. Check

Look at the clause or sentence containing the unknown wordfor key

and to confirm the assumption. If the unknown word is a noun, what

does this noun do, or what is done to it? And what adjectives

describe it? What verb is it near? If it is a verb, what nouns does it

go with? Is it modified by an adverb? If it is an adjective, what noun

does it go with? If it is an adverb, what verb is it modifying? Then,


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looking at form of the word for any clues as to meaning. Break the

unknown word into its prefix, root, and suffix, if possible.

For example : downhearted is made up of down+heart+ a participle

affix (-ed). If the student have difficulties about prefix, suffix, root,

or affix, teacher should teach it first.

3. Ask

Looking at the wider context, including the surrounding clauses and

sentences. Especially if there are „signposting‟ words, such as but,

and, however, so, that might give a clue as to how the words is

connected to its context. For example: it is awful, but it is fun: the

presence of but suggestedts that waful is not similiar in meaning to

fun.

4. Need

Making a guess to the meaning of the word, on the basis of the

above strategies. In this part, teacher must always guide the students

in guessing process

5. Revise

Reading on and see if the guess is confirmed; if not- and if the word

seems critical to the understanding of the text- go back and repeat

the above steps. If the word does not seem critical, carry on reading.

Maybe the meaning will become clearer later on.

This is the example of guessing meaning of word using SCANR

strategy:


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1. Substitute

Students find the unknown word to be substituted with another

word, in the text the unknown word is “joined”

2. Check

Students look at the clause or sentence containing the unknown

word to decide the class of word. The word “joined” is a verb

because it comes after noun.

Students look at form of the word for any clues as to meaning.

Brek the word to strength the assumption. The word “joined” is

made up of join+affix (-ed).

3. Ask

Then, students can see the preposition “at” and the word

“school”. From those clues, students can select the meaning of

the word “joined” and try to guess in the next step.

Unforgettable Experience

One day I joined an English club at school, and I was the

winner. Then the next day, me and two of my friends who as the

winners were chosen to joined the competition at the district level. I

felt very happy when I was chosen.

I had to memorize the story one day. Then, I went to school

with impassioned for excercise with my friend, we were given advise

from our teacher about pronunciation, facial expression, gestures,

and appreciation.


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3. Need

From those clues, students can select the meaning of word

“joined”. It can be “followed” or “left”.

4. Revise

After they guess the meaning, both students and teacher check

together.

C. Basic Assumption

SCANR strategy means the teacher allow to infer or guess the meaning

from the context. The teacher gives a new way to understand a new word by

collecting unknown word to be substituted, look at the clause or sentence

containing unknown word for key, look at the wider context including

surrounding clauses and sentences, make a guess to the meaning of the word,

and revise the answer together. In this case, the writer has assumption that

teaching vocabulary through SCANR strategy is effective.

D. Hypothesis

Based on the basic assumption above, the writer has hypothesis that

teaching vocabulary using SCANR strategy is effective at the eight grade

students MTs Muhammadiyah 7 Kejobong in academic year 2014/2015.


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